Lofstedt named NAIA Wrestler of the Week KANSAS CITY, Mo - Mitchell Lofstedt of Southern Oregon has been named the NAIA National Wrestler of the Week, announced Wednesday by the national office. Lofstedt, who is receiving this award for the second time this season, was selected based on his performances from Jan. 28 - Feb. 3. Lofstedt, a native of Roseburg, Ore., improved his season record to 27-1 with five victories in three days last week, including three-straight wins against NCAA Division I opponents en route to a 125-pound individual title at the California Collegiate Open. Lofstedt opened the week with a technical fall win over Simpson's (Calif.) Hayden Zimmerman on Jan. 31, before knocking off then-No. 15 Drake Medieros of Menlo (Calif.), 9-2, on Feb. 1. The wins improved his season record against NAIA opponents to 10-0. Lofstedt wrapped up the week with three wins at the California Collegiate Open against Kyle Anderson of Cal State Bakersfield (Calif.), Britain Longmire of Cal Poly and top-seeded Patrick Rollins of Oregon State. Lofstedt now boasts three individual titles this season with previous victories coming at the Southern Oregon Open on Nov. 17-18 and at the Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) Mile High Open on Jan. 19. Nominees: Kolton Kersten, Midland (Neb.); Michael Nord, Jamestown (N.D.); Zach Barrett, Cumberlands (Ky.); John Sievert, Morningside (Iowa); Josh Manu, Missouri Valley; Jacob McCombs, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); Steven Sandefer, Cumberland (Tenn.). 2013 NAIA Wrestlers of the Week Week 1 (Jan. 9): Tyler Kacmarynski, Morningside (Iowa) Week 2 (Jan. 16): Jarid Price, Baker (Kan.) Week 3 (Jan. 23): Mitchell Lofstedt, Southern Oregon Week 4 (Jan. 30): Eric Thompson, Grand View (Iowa) Week 5 (Feb. 6): Mitchell Lofstedt, Southern Oregon Porter Appointed MAC Wrestler of the Week Senior Todd Porter picks up fifth Mizzou weekly award in eleven weeks after topping top-ranked Chris Perry. COLUMBIA, Mo. – For the second consecutive week and fifth time in 2012-13, the Mizzou Wrestling program had another honored as the Mid American Conference Wrestler of the Week for theweek of Jan. 31. The MAC named Senior Todd Porter as the recipient of the weekly honor Wednesday after Porter’s huge wins over the weekend against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. Porter won both of his matches by major decision last weekend. On Friday, Porter defeated the then No. 1-ranked Chris Perry of Oklahoma State by major decision, 9-1. Porter won in decisive fashion, accumulating two takedowns, a two-point nearfall, an escape, and even got Perry to stall twice for an extra point. Porter totaled 2:58 of riding time in the bout against the top-ranked 174 pounder. The following night, Porter defeated Matt Reed of Oklahoma, also by major decision. Porter added four more take downs to give him a team-leading 43 takedowns in dual matches this year. In his first year as a starter, Porter is now 13-0 in dual meets this year, and 73-31 in his four-year career at Mizzou. Porter’s tenure at Missouri can be defined as relentless determination after working his way through the depth chart behind former Tiger great Dorian Henderson. The Mizzou senior has yet to qualify for the NCAA Championships, but is well on his way to reserving a spot on the podium this year in Des Moines, Iowa. Odie Delaney Tabbed with Second SoCon Wrestler of the Week Honor Spartanburg, S.C. – Heavyweight Odie Delaney has been named the Southern Conference wrestler of the week for all competition from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5. The selection is made by the league office. Delaney, who is ranked 14th nationally in his weight division, went 4-0 on the week earning a dual win over conference newcomer SIU-Edwardsville and going 3-0 to take the heavyweight division title at the All-Academy Championships. The redshirt senior started the week with a 6-2 decision over SIUE's David Devine to cap off the Bulldogs' dominant 41-3 win over the Cougars in McAlister Field House on Jan. 30. On Saturday, Delaney cruised to the heavyweight title at the All-Academy Championships in West Point, N.Y., earning a pair of quick pins and a decision. The Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., native got things started with a pin over the Merchant Marines' Mason Reed in just 18 seconds before dominating the Coast Guard's Mark Howard in similar fashion, pinning him in 38 seconds to reach the title bout. There, Delaney collected a 10-6 decision over Navy's Dan Miller to claim the title for the second straight year. Delaney ran his winning streak to 10 straight bouts and improved to 30-7 on the season. He also moved into third place on The Citadel's all-time wins list, as he now has 113 and needs just five more to move into second place. The award is Delaney's second of the season and sixth of his career, tying him for second-most in league history with VMI's Adam Britt, who won the award six times from 2000-03. Delaney is now just one weekly award back of Appalachian State's Austin Trotman, who won it a league-record seven times from 2008-12. McCulley and Julson Named WWC Wrestlers of the Week OREM, Utah (Feb. 5, 2013) University of Wyoming 157-pound sophomore Andy McCulley was named as the Western Wrestling Conference Co-Wrestler of the Week after his tremendous effort on the mat last week, announced Tuesday by the league. McCulley shared the honor with North Dakota State University 174-pound sophomore Kurtis Julson. A Rock Springs, Wyo., native, McCulley got Wyoming off to a great start in UW's last dual versus Northern Colorado on Jan. 30. He improved his record to 7-0 against conference opponents when he pinned UNC's Mitchell Polkowske just 48 seconds into their 157-pound match. The pin was McCulley's team-leading 11th fall of the year, and his second pin of Polkowske this season The sophomore's win sparked a 21-0 run to begin the dual, and the 21st-ranked Cowboys eventually won their eighth dual of the year, 34-10. Ranked 13th in the nation, McCulley now is 24-6 this season with 14 bonus-point victories. Julson helped spark a Bison rally in their dual with No. 20 Northern Iowa on Sunday by posting a 3-2 decision over No. 19 Cody Caldwell of UNI. Julson used a takedown with 33 seconds remaining in the third period to knock off the ranked Caldwell, 3-2. The NDSU sophomore's decision closed the NDSU deficit to 14-11 with three matches remaining, ultimately giving the 25th-ranked Bison a chance for their fourth win over a ranked opponent this season going into the heavyweight match. The conference honor was the first of the season and the first of their career for both athletes. 2012-13 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 6 - Alfonso Hernandez (Wyoming) Nov. 13 - Josh Wilson (Utah Valley) Nov. 20 - Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) Nov. 27 - Trent Sprenkle (North Dakota State) Dec. 4 - Steven Monk (North Dakota State) Dec. 11 - Brandon Richardson (Wyoming) Dec. 18 - Tyler Cox (Wyoming) Jan. 1 - Steven Monk (North Dakota State) Jan. 8 - Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) Jan. 15 - Trent Sprenkle (North Dakota State) Jan. 22 - Dylan Hyder (AFA)/Jade Rauser (UVU) Jan. 29 - Josh Martinez (Air Force) Feb. 5 - Andy McCulley (Wyoming)/Kurtis Julson (NDSU) Iowa’s McDonough Earns Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Honors Hawkeyes’ senior scores decision over second-ranked grappler in team victory Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Matt McDonough, Iowa 125 – Sr. – Marion, Iowa – Linn-Mar · Recorded a decision over Penn State’s second-ranked Nico Megaludis (2-1, TB1) in Iowa’s 22-16 win against the Nittany Lions · Scored an escape point with four seconds left in the first tiebreak to secure the win · Earned his 42nd consecutive victory, tying for the 11th longest streak in program history, and improved to 8-0 against ranked opponents this season · Ranked first nationally at 125 pounds · Collects his fourth career Wrestler of the Week award and second this season · Last Iowa Wrestler of the Week: Nick Moore (Jan. 29, 2013) 2012-13 Big Ten Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 6 Tony Dallago, Jr., ILL Nov. 13 Michael McClure, Jr., MSU Nov. 20 Matt McDonough, Sr., IOWA Nov. 27 Daryl Thomas, Sr., ILL Dec. 4 Logan Stieber, So., OSU Dec. 11 Derek St. John, Jr., IOWA Dec. 18 Michael McClure, Jr., MSU Jan. 2 Robert Kokesh, So., NEB and Jason Welch, Sr., NU Jan. 8 Ed Ruth, Jr., PSU Jan. 15 Jon Gingrich, So., PSU Jan. 22 Scott Schiller, So., MINN Jan. 29 Nick Moore, So., IOWA Feb. 5 Matt McDonough, Sr., IOWA Joe Spisak Named ACC Co-Wrestler of the Week CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia’s Joe Spisak (R-So., Boiling Springs, Pa.) has been named the ACC’s Co-Wrestler of the Week following his pin of Maryland’s Shane Arechiga last Friday. It marks Spisak’s first career ACC Wrestler of the Week honor. He is the second Cavalier to win the distinction this season, joining Jon Fausey, who earned the award on Nov. 20. Spisak shares the award this week with Maryland's Shane Gentry. Spisak scored key bonus points in Virginia’s 21-19 dual team win at Maryland on Friday. Spisak needed just one minute, 31 seconds to pin Arechiga at 141 pounds in the match’s first bout, giving the 11th-ranked Cavaliers a wave of momentum that sent them out to an early 18-0 lead. While the teams split the 10 weight classes, Spisak’s bonus points were vital as Virginia scored its first dual win in College Park since 2005 and clinched second place in the ACC regular-season standings. With the win Spisak has now captured 14 straight matches while improving to 18-2 on the season. He bumped up to 141 pounds in mid-November and dropped his first two matches at that weight to a pair of top-15 ranked wrestlers but has not lost since. Gentry Earns ACC Co-Wrestler of the Week GREENSBORO, N.C. – University of Maryland junior wrestler Shane Gentry was voted Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Wrestler of Week after knocking off then-eighth ranked Matt Snyder of Virginia on Friday, the league announced Tuesday. In a rematch of the 2012 125-pound ACC title bout, Gentry gained a measure of revenge with a 4-3 decision over Snyder. Snyder controlled the early action scoring a takedown in the first period and riding Gentry out in the second period to accumulate 2:48 of riding time. The third period started with the wrestlers at neutral and Gentry looking to tie the match. With eight seconds remaining in the contest, Gentry freed himself as Snyder hung off his back to score the takedown, but needed back points due to Snyder’s riding time advantage. The junior gained leverage and turned Snyder for a 2-point near fall as time expired. Gentry is a first-time honoree and the fifth Maryland wrestler to receive the award this season. Geoffrey Alexander and Jimmy Sheptock have each won the award twice. Miller Recognized by EIWA And Naval Academy ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Navy freshman wrestler Mathew Miller (Edgewood, Md.) has been named the NAAA Athlete of the Week Presented by Rolls-Royce, as well as the EIWA Wrestler of the Week after claiming the 174-pound title at the 19th Annual All-Academy Wrestling Championship over the weekend. Ranked 12th nationally in his weight class, Miller had little trouble en route to becoming just the eighth freshman in program history to claim an individual title at the annual tournament involving the eight military institutions. Miller opened up with a tech fall (15-) over VMI’s John Dommert and punched his ticket into the finals by way of fall (3:20) over Jack Duane. A shot by Air Force’s Daniel Barringer proved to be a mistake as Miller powered him to the mat and took the title in just under two minutes. The All-Academy Championship marked Miller’s third individual crown won this season. He won the first 11 matches of his career, taking titles at the Eastern Michigan Open and the Roadrunner Open along the way. Miller owns a 20-4 record this season, including a 3-2 mark in dual action. Bagheri named RMAC Wrestler of the Week Naveed Bagheri, San Francisco State Senior, 141, Los Gatos, Calif./ West Valley College NCAA Division II’s No. 4-ranked 141 wrestler Bagheri took an early 4-0 lead in the first period with a takedown and a two-point near fall, but couldn’t lock down Cal Baptist’s Bradford Gerl for the pin. Bagheri held on to the lead to take the match 4-3, bringing his record to 16-6. Bagheri began his run to the 141 title at the Cal Collegiate Open with a pin at 2:27 in the first round over Southern Oregon’s James Bower. He proceeded to claim a 12-1 major decision victory over Colt Shorts from Cal Poly to propel himself into the semi-final round. Facing off against Anthony Vega from Simpson, Bagheri picked up his third consecutive win of the day with a 9-1 final score to head into the finals. For the championship, Bagheri registered two takedowns, an escape and a riding time point to win by decision at 6-1 over Jose Mendoza of Cal State-Bakersfield. Gannon's Turek Named PSAC Wrestler of the Week ERIE, Pa. – Gannon's Matt Turek (Madison, Ohio/Madison) has been named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Wrestler of the Week. He is the third Golden Knight since the 2009-10 season to receive the award in a league that features four NCAA Division I programs. Turek has been red hot for the Gannon wrestling team, helping the Golden Knights win three straight dual meets. Gannon was perfect in two dual meets last week, winning road decisions at Seton Hill (27-14) and Shippensburg (36-7). Turek won both of his matches to increase his win streak to seven straight. He hasn't lost a match since January 5 while winning 10 of his last 11 to improve to 21-5 overall and a perfect 7-0 in dual matches. The Madison, Ohio, native began the week with an easy 9-2 victory against Stephen Smith of Seton Hill last Wednesday. Turek then followed with an 8-7 victory against Dereck Enders of Shippensburg during a match of regionally-ranked opponents last Saturday. Turek is ranked second in the NCAA Division II Super Region One at 125 while Enders is tabbed sixth. Turek leads Gannon in overall victories (21), dual wins (7) and major decisions (8). Josh Etzel Selected PAC Wrestler Of The Week WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson College junior wrestler Josh Etzel (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) was named Presidents’ Athletic Conference Wrestler of the Week following his 157-pound championship performance at Baldwin-Wallace’s John Summa Invitational on Saturday. Etzel posted an unblemished 4-0 record, upping his season mark to 28-3. The conference award was his second of the winter. Etzel, who entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the 157-pound weight class, defeated Eric Tuck of Waynesburg 6-0 in his opening match and moved into the semifinals after claiming an 11-2 major decision over SUNY-Brockport’s Jordan Barnett. He then edged Garrett Chase of Baldwin-Wallace 6-4 and topped Kristopher Shirley from SUNY-Brockport 4-2 to earn the title. Etzel needs one more victory to become the 20th wrestler in W&J history with 60 career victories. His 28 wins this winter are tied for the ninth-highest total in single-season program history. He also owns seven career victories by fall. He is two wins shy of becoming the sixth W&J wrestler to win 30 in a season. Etzel, who won last year’s 141-pound PAC championship, looks to become the 24th two-time champion in school history when the Presidents compete at the league championship tournament, hosted by Thiel, on February 15 beginning at 5:00 pm.